Top 6 Traditional Maldivian Cuisine – The best island dishes

Stuffed with a scrumptious filling of tuna, pepper, onion, and coconut, Gulha is definitely a flavour bomb just waiting to explode in your mouth! If you happen to be staying at a local island, take a walk along the streets by sunset and you are bound to come across these yummy treats in little kiosks. Make sure you try them with a warm cup of tea or coffee which complements it quite well.

This treat is rarely found at cafes or in hotels, rather it is more of a dish that is prepared in homes here in the Maldives. However, if you are lucky enough you might just find it available at that one wayside eatery you pass by. Kulhi Boakibaa is just like cake, still, it isn't the sweet kind you are imagining right now. Instead, this is a savoury dish prepared with ingredients like tuna, coconut, ground rice and onion. If one of the locals invite you for a meal, you just might have the opportunity to get a taste of Kulhi Boakibaa.

Smoked tuna and onions sauteed with curry leaves and chopped onion mixed with special spices and herbs is the filling you will taste as you bite into the Masroshi. This is basically a stuffed flatbread packed with island flavours that you cannot miss out! It's quite popular at Maldives restaurants and on the menu at resorts like The Residence Maldives.

This is one of the most unique salads you will ever come across in the world. The banana flower is shredded and mixed with spices, shredded coconut, Maldivian chillies, curry leaves and spices like turmeric and cumin. The banana flowers are quite crunchy and give the palate a lovely experience. Not to mention, it is a healthy dish as well.

This is a Maldivian staple and if you are a fan of miso and dashi soup, you are bound to love Garudhiya as well. The star of this ingredient is certainly tuna. The fresh fish is cut into cubes and boiled in stock. Onions, garlic, chillies, and curry leaves are added to the stock as well. Once done, the dish is served as a clear soup seasoned with lime juice and fried onions.

This is yet another local staple that is prepared with just a few simple ingredients. Tuna is the main ingredient seasoned with a mix of spices including cinnamon. Chillies are added to the curry which is prepared in fresh coconut milk. This creamy curry is best served with rice or roshi, either way, you are bound to enjoy Mas Riha.